The Far and Distant Light
by DiamondDustOhSnap
Summary: Ignis is struggling to adapt after Noctis disappeared into the crystal, and Gladio and Prompto aren't supporting him the way he'd like either. He finds a new ally in the unlikely Aranea Highwind... Ignis/Aranea. This is my personal headcanon. Rating it M for some of the future content. [Spoilers!]
1. Partners

**The Far and Distant Light**

 **Part One: Partners**

Lestallum was getting crowded. Though he couldn't see it, Ignis could tell the difference in the increased difficulty he had in sensing his surroundings. There were now too many voices, too many smells, too many bodies around him. As he stood as close to the wall as he could, waiting for Gladio and Prompto to pick up ingredients at the market, someone tripped on his cane. He felt something bubbling up inside him in reaction, but he quickly snuffed it out and instead contemplated how he'll manage with dinner this evening.

Evening—how funny, he thought. It was evening, but apparently it had been complete darkness for over a month now, since Noctis disappeared into the crystal. The thought of it hit Ignis with a fresh pang of pain; it hasn't been the same without Noct. He felt almost like he lost his purpose. Gladio could fend for himself just fine, and even Prompto didn't seem to need much assistance. And with his sight still gone, Ignis knew he was the one everyone had to look after.

At least Gladio and Prompto still encouraged him to cook, but Ignis felt like he wasn't contributing enough otherwise. The world had become too chaotic, too dangerous, and he was still getting used to his condition. He had been keeping up somewhat, but lately he felt like he was turning into what he feared most: a liability.

"Hey Ignis, they were all out of Leiden Pepper." It was Prompto coming around to his left. "I got Schier Turmeric instead. Think you can manage with that?"

It wasn't even close to being right, but he didn't dare say so. "It will do just fine."

"Phew! I was worried for a sec."

"Where's Gladio?"

"He heard something about Aranea Highwind landing nearby with some refugees from Tenebrae. He went to go talk to her, see if he can get any new information on the situation there. Told me to come get you."

"Sounds promising. Give me a hand, will you? It's rather crowded here."

"Yeah, of course!" Prompto put a hand on his back and helped lead him through the crowd. Even sighted, Prompto had difficulty navigating. He couldn't imagine how it must be for Ignis.

—

Aranea landed just outside of Lestallum, close enough to the lights of the city to be safe but far enough away to avoid the worst of the crowds. Her ship had been so packed, she spent the entire ride standing trapped in a corner and was in a mood. Still, she waited for the refugees to exit first—she knew they weren't any better off than her.

As she exited the ship, she could pick out the silhouettes of the three boys from the crowd: Gladio still looking imposing but standing a little less tall, Prompto lacking the usual pep in his step, and Ignis walking with great apprehension. So it must be true then; the king was gone for now.

"Hello, boys," she said, trying to muster that slight bit of mockery in her tone, but finding she just sounded tired.

"Aranea," greeted Gladio. "It's good to see you took care of all those people in Tenebrae."

"I told you, they were in my capable hands."

"What is the situation in Tenebrae?" Ignis asked.

"Straight to business, are we? Can't a girl grab a beer first?"

"Apologies. It must have been a long trip for you. Why don't we make our way to our hotel room? It will be more comfortable," Ignis replied.

"Yeah, and you're going to love this," piped in Prompto. "I still have some beer in the cooler! They're getting harder to find, but I'll gladly share my stash with you."

"Oh, Prompto," Aranea said, winking at him. "Always thinking of a woman's needs."

Ignis could almost feel the heat on Prompto's cheeks next to him as he blushed.

"Heh heh, yeah…" Prompto stammered. "Always being thoughtful, that's just me."

"Shall we then?" Ignis said.

—

As they walked, Ignis wondered if Aranea found it irritating to have to wait for him. He knew he was slowing everyone down, but Gladio and Prompto were used to it. He wanted to apologize, but he was also tired of constantly apologizing. Then he wondered if he had enough ingredients to serve them all. At worst, he could cut his portion down. If only there had been some Leiden Pepper available.

Ignis tripped on something and fell forward a little. Prompto grabbed him, and he could feel another figure on his right reaching out as well. A much smaller frame than Gladio's, but strong hands. Must be Aranea.

"You okay?" she said.

"I'm fine. Just a stumble." His pride was a bit hurt, and he could feel that thing bubbling up inside him again, but he quickly pushed it down before it could manifest in any way. "Pay no mind to it. It happens."

—

Back at the hotel, Ignis parked himself on his bed. He needed a moment to recalibrate his surroundings. The kitchen was about 20 paces to the right of him, the washroom about 5 paces to the left. Gladio's bed was to his right, and Prompto's cot was folded up across the room to make it easier to walk around. It was a small room, but they had to make due with whatever they could get, considering the overcrowding.

Gladio took a seat on his bed, and Prompto offered Aranea a beer. He opened a few more bottles.

"Here you go, Iggy." Ignis reached up so Prompto could put the beer against his hand, and he grabbed hold. He didn't much like beer, but with the alcohol supply running out fast—an apocalypse sure brought out the drinking in people—it would have to do. The cold fizz even felt pleasant in this heat.

He felt Aranea move near to him, given away by the clanking of her boots and a not unpleasant scent of sweat mixed with something sweet.

"Mind if I sit here?" She said to him.

"Of course." Ignis moved up the bed to give her space. He could hear Prompto plopping onto the bed across, next to Gladio.

"So," said Gladio. "What's going on in Tenebrae?"

"Completely overrun with daemons," said Aranea. "We could barely hold out the month. But everyone was so reluctant to leave their homes."

"Yeah, that would be tough," agreed Prompto."

"I tried to get everyone out earlier, but they wouldn't budge. What can I say, I'm used to being persuasive in less… verbal ways. But all I could do was help fend off the daemons until they had some sense knocked into them. Took a few losses, but we got there…"

"It must have been difficult," said Ignis. "And you? Are you all right?"

Aranea sounded surprised by the concern over her well being. "Yeah, you know me. I can look out for myself just fine. And hey, what about the king? I heard he disappeared…"

"Yes," replied Ignis, an unmistakable sadness in his voice. "He was absorbed into the crystal. So now, I suppose all we can do is wait."

"What will happen when he comes back out?"

"Hopefully an end to all this darkness."

"I see… So you don't really know."

"We can't be sure. All we know is that he's gathering his powers in there, but we have no idea for how long or where he'll even show up."

"Great. So we get to wait here in this smoldering heat for his kingly ass to grace us. I love this plan," Aranea said sardonically.

"Long trip?" Gladio asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you could say that." She took a swig from her bottle, then another. Then Ignis heard her chugging down the rest. "Listen boys, I hate to do this but I'm beat and I don't have anywhere to stay tonight. Mind if I crash here?"

"Not at all!" Prompto said, a little too enthusiastically.

"You can take the cot," added Ignis. "Prompto can share the bed with me."

"Wha—?"

"I'll prep some dinner first."

—

Ignis was getting better at navigating the kitchen, as long as everything was put back in its place. He insisted on prepping dinner on his own, promising to ask for help if he needed it. As he started chopping the carrots, he got the feeling that he was being watched.

"Someone there?"

"Just me," said Aranea.

"I didn't hear you coming."

"Took off my boots. Sorry if my feet stink. I can't wait to have a shower."

"I cannot tell. Can I get you something?"

"Nah."

"All right then."

He continued chopping. He could feel she remained standing there, watching him. Several seconds passed before she spoke again.

"Need a hand? I'm not much of a cook, but I'm pretty good with a knife."

"Sure. Why don't you chop the potatoes?"

"Sounds good. I like to earn my keep."

She got to work in silence next to him. Ignis didn't know if he should attempt small talk or not. She made him a bit nervous. He was impressed by her fighting skills when they first met, and even more so when she was on their side, looking for mythril. But he didn't know how else to dissect her. She had fought for Niflheim, yet defected and helped the citizens of Tenebrae. She was clearly smart, but put on such a casual exterior that he wondered what she was hiding. He moved his face in her direction for a moment, an ingrained instinct to catch a sight of her curved figure, but found only darkness. So instead, he imagined her standing next to him, knife in hand and cutting potatoes, her head stopping at his chin's height—just the right angle to catch a glimpse of her cleavage. He could smell her still, a long day mixed with that innate sweetness he caught a whiff of earlier.

"All done," she said.

Ignis shook off his vision of her and realized he had stopped chopping. "Uh… thank you for your help."

She dusted off her hands. "Better get a move on there, Ignis. I'm starving."

"Yes, apologies. Almost finished."

—

The stew had come out quite well. The Leiden Pepper would have added just the right kick, but the Shier Turmeric turned out to be a surprisingly satisfying addition. Everyone had gone to bed after, and Ignis lay next to a snoozing Prompto, trying to fall asleep but finding it too cramped on the double bed for his liking. He hadn't shared a bed with someone in a long time. He wondered whatever happened to her…

She had been his first love. She was adventurous, exciting, and beautiful to him. They met in high school while he tutored her for extra credit, but tutoring sessions soon got heated. He felt some guilt over wasting precious studying time, but how could he say no? It was too new, too exciting.

They stayed together after high school, even as Ignis took his duties to the royal family more and more seriously. She, on the other hand, was a free spirit. She wanted to see the world. Ignis would have liked to as well—but he couldn't shirk his duties, and he felt a strong allegiance to Noctis. After all, who would look after him if not he?

She left one day, leaving him with only a note. It said he was too serious, he was too devoted—but not to her. He was heartbroken inside, but he carried on as normal, cooking for Noct, briefing him on politics, picking up after him. He never regretted his decision.

Unable to fall asleep in the hot room, Ignis got up and went into the washroom to splash cold water on his face, only to bump into a figure by the sink, followed by a yelp.

"Ow! Ignis!" Aranea exclaimed.

"Apologies, I didn't see…"

"The lights are on—"

"Yes, well… I wouldn't know."

"Oh, right… I was just finishing. It's too hot. Needed some cold water on me."

He pictured her in some light, wispy fabric she wore to sleep, with water dripping down her front, outlining a nipple.

"Good thing you can't see," she laughed. "I'm not exactly decent."

His picture of her no longer wore the wispy fabric; she wore nothing at all. He could feel himself blush.

"No need to get all flustered," she said as he heard her getting dressed in something. "I'll get out of your way."

He still couldn't find any words. She left and closed the door, leaving him alone in the bathroom. He turned on the sink, splashing cold water on his face, fingers trailing over his scars. For a moment, he wondered if they made him look bad. They felt bad. He tried not to concern himself with such trivial things, but it was at the back of his mind nonetheless.

And then he thought of her again, standing by the sink, splashing cold water on her bare, pale skin.

—

When Ignis woke up the next morning (if it could be called that, dark as it was), Aranea had already gone. Gladio and Prompto were planning on going on a hunt and invited him along. It was more of a courtesy than anything, but he agreed nonetheless.

There had been reports of daemons getting too close for comfort to the reactor, and Gladio had volunteered to take them out. Even Iris joined, eager to get her hands dirty. It was going to be a fairly easy job with so many of them—until Ignis got taken by surprise.

The goblins had swarmed the place and he was ready to throw a fireball at a group of them.

"Iggy, now!" Gladio had shouted.

As he was about to throw, a couple of goblins came out of nowhere and grabbed Ignis from behind, pulling him onto his back. He threw the fireball but missed the target, just as one of the goblins bit into his neck, hard. It hit something bad, and warm blood came streaming out. He heard gunshots as the creatures went limp, but he was feeling too faint to react, staying flat on the ground instead. Soon, the world went even darker.

When he awoke in the hotel room, Prompto was by his side.

"Iggy!" He exclaimed. "We were so worried about you."

"It's just a scratch," he replied. "I'll be fine."

"It was pretty bad actually. You lost a lot of blood."

"Never let that stop me before."

"Yeah, 'course not. But… you know, Gladio thinks it might be best if you take it easy for a while."

"What?"

"Well, you know…"

"I'm more used to the darkness than the rest of you." He knew there was a bit too much sting in his voice, but he didn't want to be forced to sit out.

"Ignis… You promised you would step down if you needed to."

"I really don't think this qualifies as such a situation."

"Look, it's not up to me. And Gladio's only looking out for you."

Ignis felt that thing bubbling up again, stronger than usual, but he wouldn't have it. He shoved it down hard, with greater force than ever. He knew he wasn't winning this argument, but he wasn't about to give in either.

"I'll take some time to rest," is all he could manage.

—

To feel more useful, Ignis took to busying himself by making everything his business to know. Aranea had seemingly disappeared since their run-in that night, but he heard she was back, giving instructions at Lestallum's main square to a group of her soldiers.

Ignis found his way over, having been left to his own devices now that he was better. He worked his way through the crowd somewhat clumsily, letting the wall on his left guide him, his cane in his right hand. He could hear her voice now, authoritative and confident, addressing a group of respectful listeners.

"We need to get more fuel here. The airships have run dry, and we need them to transport refugees."

"But Lady A, we have no way of getting fuel with the daemon situation blocking the roads near the sources at Hammerhead, Ravatogh, and the Vesperpool," a soldier said, most likely Biggs or Wedge by the sound of the accent.

"I see. So we have absolutely no way to refuel as of now?"

"Affirmative. We barely have enough juice left in the cars. We don't have the resources to send a squadron to clear all three areas. We're so low on fuel, we can realistically only send two cars, and then there's the problem of manpower. Most of our soldiers are busy keeping the Lestallum area secure. "

"No, you're right, we can't send too many hands out. What about the motorcycle? Could we spare some fuel for that?"

"It's got low consumption, so I suppose. But it'd be a pretty tough job for one man with all the daemons around."

"I can do it."

"Lady A—we cannot let you go alone!"

"Biggs, please. You know I can take care of myself just fine. Okay then. Biggs and Wedge, you'll each take one man with you to Hammerhead and Ravatogh to clear the roads so that the fuel trucks can make their way through. I'll take the motorcycle to the Vesperpool area. It'll be a few days' job, so prepare appropriately. Campsites have been fitted with extra lights to keep daemons at bay, but be sure to build a substantial fire as backup. We move out tomorrow morning. For now, let's enjoy this event they've got cooking up at the lookout. It's been a hard month. You all deserve a break."

The crowd cheered, relieved to have a night off. The city had decided that, despite the grim circumstances, the refugees should be shown a warm welcome with a party at Lestallum's lookout over the meteor. They had also hoped it might help ease some of the tension growing in the crowded city. Ignis hadn't been keen on attending, but Gladio and Prompto insisted they all take a breather, and Iris was so excited that she wouldn't accept a decline from any of them. But now, he had another idea too.

"Ignis." Aranea took him by surprise. She was very good at approaching stealthily when she wanted to. Luckily, it was perfect timing for him. "I thought I saw you lurking in the corner here."

"Not so much lurking as listening. I'm glad to see you have returned to Lestallum."

"Yeah, I was out clearing the periphery for a few days with the squadron, but a girl's gotta get her beauty sleep eventually."

"It sounds like you have quite the conundrum with the fuel."

"Not the most convenient thing, but we'll sort it out."

"And you plan on going alone to take out daemons all the way in the Vesperpool?"

"It's nothing I can't handle."

"Of course. But I was wondering if you would care for some assistance?"

"From you?" She sounded surprised, cautious even.

"Now, no need to say it like that."

"Ignis, don't get me wrong. I've seen you're very handy with a set of daggers. But—"

"But I'm blind. A liability."

"I didn't mean it that way."

"I admit, it's not… ideal. But I loath to stay here, doing nothing."

"Why don't you go with Gladio and Prompto?"

"They've benched me following a minor incident." He moved his collar to give her a glimpse of the bandages still on his wound. "But it could have happened to anybody, with those horrendous goblins."

"Tell me about it. One almost took my eye out."

"Hm. I'll be frank Aranea, I need some practice. But I know I can do it. And from what I've seen, you and I have similar fighting styles. I would be indebted to you if you provided me with some training. In return, I have some useful strategies for taking daemons out."

"A little brawn in exchange for a little brains. I could see the benefit in that." Her voice seemed to have softened.

"And I can ensure you eat something better than Cup Noodles."

"Now you're really selling yourself."

"So what do you say?"

"Well, there's room on that bike for two riders… But one thing. I'm not having your blood on my hands and dealing with the wrath of your boy band. So you better stay alive."

"That was always my intention."

"Good. Then we have a deal. Partner?"

She held out her hand to shake, but then realized he probably couldn't see it. Yet just as she was about to drop it, he grabbed hold.

"Partner."

—

The party exploded with great excitement. Everyone was ready to shed the constant living in fear of the last month and let loose, pretending the world hadn't gone so painfully wrong—if only for a night. A popular brass band had ended up in Lestallum from Galdin Quay, and they were only too happy to play to such an enthusiastic crowd.

Ignis and Aranea had walked over together, agreeing to set out the following morning. As soon as they arrived at the lookout, Aranea was whisked away by adoring refugees from Tenebrae. While she listened politely to their outpourings of gratitude, Ignis heard Gladio's warm, deep tone and followed it, finding him and Prompto at a table they managed to secure.

"How're you feeling?" Gladio asked.

"Better," Ignis replied, sitting down. "I'm setting out with Aranea tomorrow morning to clear some daemons that are blocking a fuel route in the Vesperpool."

Gladio grunted. Ignis could sense his disapproval. Prompto started to say something but stopped mid-word—Gladio must have given him a look.

"I thought I told you to stay put for a while."

"Now Gladio, I'm not a child."

"You wanna go on a suicide mission to prove something? Fine. But what about Noct?"

"What about him?" Ignis still couldn't contain the sting in his voice at the mention of Noctis.

"He'll be expecting us to be there for him."

"And I will be. But better."

"Iggy…" Prompto finally got up the nerve to say something. "For what it's worth, I think it's great that you want to, you know, figure things out. We just don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"It's already happened, Prompto, in case you didn't notice." His voice was too harsh—he knew Prompto meant well. "Apologies."

"It's okay. I know, it really sucks. All of this sucks. And we're all struggling in our own ways… But hey, it's a party tonight. So let's try to enjoy ourselves a little, okay?"

"Fine," Gladio huffed. "We'll talk about this later."

"Hey, Aranea!" Prompto shot to his feet as he saw her approaching, then tried to play it cool. "Didn't know you'd be here."

"Hello boys. So who's gonna take me to the dance?"

"Me!" Prompto evidently gave up on playing cool really fast.

"Well then, what are you waiting for?"

Ignis heard them shuffle away into the crowd. He was grateful to Aranea for agreeing to let him come with her, but now he remembered another minor setback: he couldn't dance anymore either. Not in a crowd like this at least.

"Remember those nights we'd all go out in Insomnia?" Gladio said.

"Yes," Ignis replied, glad to be off the topic of his upcoming mission. "You'd insist you didn't dance, but if we got enough drinks in you, it was a sight to behold."

"Ha. I preferred to leave the dancing to you nut jobs. But the girls sure did like it, the prince and his consort."

"Those were the days…"

—

Prompto had finally tired Aranea out after several songs, and she collapsed in a chair next to Ignis. Gladio had been dragged to the dance area by Iris, and Prompto joined them. Aranea laughed quietly to herself as she watched something. She leaned in toward Ignis, and he could feel her breath on his cheek.

"Prompto's trying to dance with Iris now. You should see the look on Gladio's face. I'm afraid you might be a man down by the end of the night!"

Ignis let out a little laugh at the thought of this. "Prompto knows full well what he's doing. Anything to get a rise out of Gladio."

"You know, sometimes I envy you guys. I wish I had this much fun with Biggs and Wedge."

Ignis smiled to himself. As annoying as it was to have Gladio telling him what to do, he knew it came from a place of caring.

"So… I haven't seen you dancing," Aranea said after a moment.

"No… I used to quite like to dance. But it would just be a disaster now." He hoped he'd hid the bitterness in his tone at least somewhat.

"I don't think so. You just need a partner who'll look out for you."

She took hold of his hand.

"Aranea, I appreciate the offer, but—"

"We're going to be working together from tomorrow, aren't we? This is good practice. For teamwork, y'know."

Ignis hesitated a moment, then reached for his cane with his free hand.

"You won't need this."

Aranea pushed the cane away and took his other hand too.

"Come on. I'll be your eyes."

The brass band was just starting a new number as she pulled him up from his seat and lead him deep into the crowd. She moved confidently, keeping a firm hold on his hands. Ignis could feel a hundred bodies around him.

Aranea stopped, facing him, and moved in closer so he could hear her.

"Ready? Cause I've got some high expectations after seeing your pole arm moves."

Ignis took a deep breath in and out, and suddenly felt like he could sense everything with greater clarity; the space around him, the rhythm of the crowd and the music, and Aranea mere inches away. He could feel the heat from her body, her hands firmly planted in his.

"Well, I loath to disappoint a lady."

In one swift move, he pulled her close against him. One hand went to the small of her back, and he realized she was wearing a backless dress as his hand traced her bare skin. He almost shivered; little details like this affected him more now that he relied on all his other senses.

As the music swelled up, he dipped her dramatically, and, taken by surprise, she threw her head back and laughed. He swung her up and gave her a small, mischievous smile. He took control, leading and spinning her, his muscle memory kicking in. He pictured the way she was moving around him, and the crowd no longer mattered. If she was ensuring he didn't bump into anyone, she hid it well whenever she subtly steered them in a different direction.

As the music shifted to a slow dance, he gently pulled her against him. She placed her hands around his neck, breathing heavily. His hands ran down her back, feeling her smooth, wet skin. Her breasts rose and fell against his chest. Her breath felt so close.

Ignis had to speak before he did something that crossed the line. "How'd I do?"

"I've had better," Aranea teased. And then he felt her head rest on his shoulder a moment before the music swelled to a grand finale and everyone cheered and they reluctantly moved apart to clap.

—

Ignis couldn't sleep. They had parted ways after their dance to rest for the next day. Gladio and Prompto dutifully walked Ignis back to the hotel—though Gladio was unusually silent, even for him. Aranea had a spare bed to sleep on so she didn't return to their room this time, but they agreed to meet by the gas station the next morning, fuel up with what they could, get supplies, and ride out.

But the thought of their dance wouldn't leave Ignis' mind as he lay in bed. Her body curved so naturally next to his. She felt small and compact, yet strong at the same time. She smelled intoxicating. He resisted the thought at first, trying to keep a professional mindset, but finally gave in to imagining her body against his, but this time naked, and how he'd run his hands over her breasts, over her behind, down the outside of her legs, and back up on the inside.

Then he shook the thought away.

This wasn't the time for such things, and he knew it. After his first love and the consequent heartbreak, he had become very guarded—a trait that remained. Sure, there was a tryst here and there, but those left him feeling too empty. Yet in that brief moment, Aranea felt different somehow…

He pushed the thought away again. He had no idea if she felt anything anyway. She was a flirt and most likely humoring him like she did Prompto—and like she humored him by agreeing to let him join her mission.

Which he was determined not to fail. He had to get better. He had to learn to live with his condition and be effective. He had to be there for Noct, whenever he came back. This mission was his best chance to get on the right path. He had to remain focused.

As Ignis finally drifted off to sleep, confident in his resolve, his mind once again danced with hazy images of Aranea moving around him in her backless dress, hair sticking to the beads of sweat on her forehead and steely eyes softening as they met his gaze.

 **Part 2: Coming soon...  
**


	2. Living in the Dark

**Part Two: Living in the Dark**

Ignis was sure to make breakfast for Prompto and Gladio the next morning, before heading out. He knew it wouldn't placate them, but it was a peace offering of sorts. They sat around a small table in their room, eating in silence. Prompto tried to start a conversation every now and then, going on about dancing with Aranea the night before and whether or not they thought she liked him, but he received only curt answers from Gladio.

Finally, Ignis had it and put his fork down. "If you don't agree with me going, Gladio, that is fine. But we needn't part ways like this."

"Stop talking like you're not coming back," Gladio shot at him. Then, after a moment, "What are you hoping to get out of this? Are you just chasing a nice piece of ass around? Cause that seems like a pretty stupid reason to get killed and fail Noct."

Ignis went rigid with anger. "Of course I'm not chasing a 'nice piece of ass' around. I want to get better. I _need_ to get better. I need to learn to fight with this—with this goddamn condition that I didn't ask for!" The raised voice took the other two by surprise. Ignis rarely shouted. "And, unlike you, Aranea is willing to help me."

"Well…" Gladio softened just a little. "You could have fooled me, with the way the two of you were dancing."

Ignis relaxed too. "It was just a dance. No need to read into it."

"Yeah, and she danced way more with me, for the record," Prompto jumped in, taking the opportunity to ease the tension.

"Fine," said Gladio. "Go and get her to train you, or whatever. But hey, promise you'll look out for yourself, you hear me?"

"I promise."

—

Aranea had already filled up the bike when Ignis arrived at the gas station—there was just enough fuel left for a round trip. He'd brought food supplies, weapons, and a few magic flasks, and they picked up a selection of curatives at the shop. Neither of them spoke about the night before, instead making small talk and focusing on the task at hand as they secured everything to the bike.

"All right partner, ready to hop on?" asked Aranea.

"Indeed. I presume you know how to ride one of these?"

"Of course. I didn't always have an airship."

Aranea jumped on the bike and turned it on. Ignis carefully found his way onto it behind her. His helmet accidentally clanked against the back of hers.

"Watch your head. And hold on tight!"

She sounded almost giddy, like she was setting out on an adventure—not a daemon-slaying mission in a post-apocalyptic world, but a real, exciting adventure. Like Ignis did a few months ago. He wrapped his hands around her waist as she revved the engine and sped off.

—

Ignis found the bike ride nerve-wracking at first. He was completely at the whim of Aranea, and she liked her speed. But after the first stretch, he began to trust her judgment and even started to enjoy himself. The wind was blowing in his face, which brought him back to the Regalia, and he imagined he was driving. In his mind, it wasn't dark outside, but a beautiful morning. The sounds of daemons lurking about were nothing more than harmless animals grazing. He hadn't felt this free since before everything in Altissia happened. It seemed like a lifetime ago now.

The ride took the good part of a day, so they stopped whenever they needed a quick break, as long as there were no daemons about. They would have a snack, Aranea would update Ignis with anything of interest that she'd seen on their ride, banter about who the better driver is (Ignis insisted it was still him), and then carry on. They soon developed a comfortable routine, and Ignis looked forward to hopping back on the bike after a break—and setting his hands on her waist again.

Despite these distracting thoughts, he knew he had to keep his mind on the task at hand. This was about learning to live with his condition, not about the woman he was holding on to. He wasn't naive though; he couldn't deny the flutter he felt from being so close to a beautiful woman like Aranea—and he certainly remembered she was beautiful. He had noticed her lips first, peachy against her pale skin and curving into a mischievous smile, and then her eyes, which were almost innocent and doe-like when she wasn't challenging someone to a fight. He found himself looking for every memory he had of her face and cataloging it so he wouldn't forget any detail he had noticed.

Aranea slowed down the bike and entered some rugged terrain. After a few minutes, she pulled over and turned off the bike.

"Here we are, at the campsite," she announced. "Everything still looks good from here, no daemons around—at least not right now. We should build a fire and get the lights going though. Then we can get started with some training."

The campsite was a flat, raised area that had been outfitted with bright lights placed in a circle around its circumference to keep daemons at bay. Since they ran off batteries, they had to be used sparingly, only when hunters were staying on the grounds. A fire also had to be built as backup in case the lights failed.

It was late evening by the time Ignis and Aranea finished setting up camp. They were tired and needed rest, so the daemon-slaying would have to wait till the following day. They had a brief training session, focusing on defending against Aranea's stealthy attacks. She posed a challenge at first, getting most of her attacks in, but Ignis slowly began to pinpoint the sounds that gave away where she was and how she was approaching—the vibration of her footsteps, the air from her moving arms, her trailing scent. By the end of the session, he was defending and parrying more often than not.

"Great job, partner," she said breathlessly, removing her armor. "I gotta say, I'm impressed. I was worried at the beginning, but I swear you're developing eyes on the back of your head."

"I hope you didn't go easy on me," Ignis replied, sheathing his daggers.

"Not a chance. I never go easy on anyone—blind or not."

Though famished, Ignis resisted Aranea's attempts at wooing him with Cup Noodles and cooked them a hearty and well-seasoned meal of meat and vegetables instead.

"I have to admit, this tastes pretty great," Aranea said with a mouthful of food. "Sorry Cup Noodles, you've been dethroned."

Ignis laughed, pleased with his creation. Unlike fighting, cooking had come back a lot easier and was one of the times he could feel most like himself.

They sat around the fire, eating and talking about how he can continue to sense his surroundings and adapt his techniques. Then, during a moment of silence, Aranea's mood shifted.

"Can I ask you something?" she said.

"Of course."

"Do you regret it? Your sight, I mean."

"There's no point in wasting time regretting. It won't change a thing."

"Sure, but sometimes you've gotta feel angry, right?"

He felt that bubbling feeling again, but didn't want to give it any further acknowledgement. He wanted to change the subject instead.

"What about you. Any regrets?"

"Hmm…" she thought for a moment. "Does a crappy upbringing count?"

"You regret your family?"

"Sure. It's your typical messed-up sob story. Absent father, drunken mother, no siblings… Yeah, I can see how I might regret that."

"That does sound difficult." Ignis agreed, surprised at her candidness. "But if it weren't for those things, you probably wouldn't be who you are now."

Aranea shrugged. "Would that be the worst thing? I'm sure I could have turned out better. Trust me, I'm far from perfect."

"Striving for perfection is only suitable in the culinary arts. If people strive for it within themselves, they will be forever disappointed."

"Ever the pragmatist."

They sat in silence again, Ignis considering just how much he wanted to share. To his surprise, he found himself willing.

"My father was also absent and I had no siblings. My mother wasn't a drunk though. She was wonderful."

"Was?"

"Unfortunately, she passed several years ago. It was she that taught me to cook. She worked on King Regis' kitchen staff since before I was born. She loved cooking, and always sat me on the kitchen counter while she worked, explaining everything to me. When I was old enough, I began to help. But she was worried about me not having a male figure in my life, and Regis worried that his son had no friends to help look out for him. My uncle, who happened to be on the King's staff, arranged that I become Noct's "adviser"—if you can call a child that at such a young age."

"So are you so devoted to Noctis because it's your duty or cause you grew up with him?"

"It's true that it's my duty. But I couldn't be duty-bound to someone I didn't believe in. Noct is the closest thing to family that I have."

"And Gladio and Prompto."

"Yes, of course."

"You should consider yourself lucky then. That's three more than I have."

"Surely a woman like yourself would have no trouble finding someone to, you know… make a family of your own with."

"Ha, can you imagine. Me, a wife and mother? What are we going to do, go daemon-slaying for our family holidays?"

It was true that Ignis had difficulty imagining Aranea with a baby strapped to her. But he also suspected she wasn't as hard-as-nails as she liked to put on.

"I'm fine on my own," she added, but Ignis got a sense that she was saying this to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince him. "And besides, I'm hardly looking for anything serious during the end of the world."

This he could believe, and understand. "We should probably retire for the night," he suggested.

"Yeah, busy day tomorrow. But look at us. We've done some team training, eaten well, and even got in a heart-to-heart."

"I'd say we're off to a great start, partner."

—

There was plenty of room for both of them in the tent from what Ignis could tell. He made himself comfortable on one side of the mat while Aranea changed into something for sleeping.

"I like to sleep in my underwear, but I guess I don't have to worry about you seeing me," she said.

"Indeed not."

She made herself comfortable to his right, a little closer than he expected. Ignis removed his shades and drifted off slowly, exhausted from the day but happy that he made some progress during training, and also that he could feel Aranea's warmth nearby.

—

Aranea woke first. Her instincts for safety kicked in immediately, and even though she didn't move, she took stock that everything seemed in order outside; the lights were working, the fire was still on, and daemons could only be heard faintly. She then looked to her side, at Ignis' sleeping form. He was on his back, but his face had fallen towards her. She realized he had taken his shades off. She hadn't seen him without his glasses before.

She propped herself up a little and took a closer look at his face. He really was handsome, with a strong jawline and nose, high forehead, and nicely shaped lips. She studied the large scar covering his left eye, and thought it looked like a starburst. There were smaller scars too, one on the bridge of his nose, another on his lower lip. She dared to raise a finger and gingerly trace the starburst pattern of the scar, feeling the tight, smooth skin. Then she realized what she was doing and lay back down, hoping he hadn't noticed.

This had all been so strange to her. When he asked to join her mission, she first assumed he was just trying to get it on with her like many other guys would, and she was ready to tell him off. But he seemed to genuinely want her help, so she obliged. She didn't even know why she'd asked him to dance after. She had a soft spot for Prompto, like the little brother she never had, so it was easy to indulge him. But as she had sat with Ignis, looking so genuinely down at not being able to join in, her heart broke a little—not something she was used to feeling at all.

But even more surprising was how he sprung to life in the middle of the dance floor. In a rare moment of submission she let him lead, though she was not the type to let men—or anyone, for that matter—tell her what to do. And when he pulled her in close, she was almost certain he would kiss her. Her heart was nearly bursting out of her chest in nervousness and anticipation, but then he made a passing comment and pulled away. She collected herself, vowing to keep things simple from then on.

So what was she doing here now, tracing the scar on his face while he slept?

—

After a filling breakfast that Ignis insisted on, they set out on their mission. Aranea still found it strange to be eating breakfast and starting the day when it was so dark. Ignis said he just pretended it was a beautiful dawn and that the days still changed from light to dark to light again. Aranea felt a little jealous that he could continue to live in that belief while she couldn't escape the perpetual night, but thought better of saying anything.

The reported daemon infestation was about an hour's walk away. They left the bike and supplies in the safety of the campsite, taking only the weapons they needed and Ignis' cane, which he refused to part with, despite Aranea's insistence that he didn't need it. Aside from a few minor skirmishes along the way, the daemons had thankfully stayed few and far between. They had been increasing in number ever since Noctis disappeared into the crystal though, and Ignis suspected they will only multiply over time.

They stayed quiet during the long walk to avoid unwanted attention, but then Aranea whispered, "Do you hear that?"

"Yes… daemons. More of them."

"We're near the road. This must be one of the spots we have to clear. Are you ready?"

"After your impeccable training? I should think so."

The first set of daemons went down easily enough. The second put up more of a fight, but Ignis managed to hold his own and proved to be a great help with taking advantage of the daemons' weaknesses. Aranea moved even more swiftly than in training, so much so that Ignis often wasn't sure where she was until she'd call out instructions to him—"To your right, now!"—and he'd hurl a fireball in the direction.

He was using his daggers too, often slashing into something, sometimes hitting air. He had to focus hard on the telltale signs of where the daemons were, but they made it easier by not being particularly quiet.

After a full day of daemon hunting up the road, Ignis and Aranea were exhausted. There was still another stretch of road to cover, but they had made good headway and decided to leave the rest for the following morning—the daemons were unlikely to respawn that fast. They walked back to camp in silence, taking care to avoid attracting more daemons. Every now and then though, Aranea would reach out to Ignis to guide him over tricky terrain. Though usually impatient and eager, she didn't mind having to look out for him.

—

Back at camp, Aranea sent a quick update on her phone and checked in with Biggs and Wedge. They had almost cleared the roads on their end. She also sent a message to Gladio, telling him that Ignis was not only fine, but proving to be a worthy fighter because, of course, she was an excellent teacher. All she received in response was a simple "good." Not a man of many words, that one, she thought.

After another hour of training that Ignis insisted on, an exhausted Aranea sat and watched him prepare dinner, moving with little trouble at the table where he chopped and mixed and stirred. She imagined he'd fit well into a nice kitchen with a nice family.

"So we talked about how ridiculous I would look as a wife and mother," she said. "But what about you?"

"I think I'd make a fine wife and mother."

Aranea let out her low, throaty laugh. "Well, you _are_ the mom of your group."

"Why do I always get pegged as the mother?"

"Admit it, you like it."

Ignis looked in her direction and raised an eyebrow. It was impressive how he could do that—pinpoint where a person was and throw an expression at them as if he could see them.

The conversation flowed easily throughout dinner. Ignis regaled Aranea with stories of his adventures with the guys, and Aranea shared her best victories and closest calls in battle. They moved on to their childhoods again, and Aranea surprised herself as she shared stories she had never told anyone. Some were difficult for her—but Ignis waited patiently while she tried to find the right words.

Ignis imagined her eyes turning from expression to expression as she spoke. He pictured her biting down on her lips as she tried to contain a strong emotion. He wanted so badly to reach out and take her hand—she was sitting close after all—but he was worried it might make her retreat. She struck him as the type who needed to be approached slowly and carefully, given space to go at her own pace.

And beyond that, Ignis kept reminding himself to keep his feelings in check. She was beautiful, he was still in a vulnerable state, and the world had gone to mayhem. It was easy to want to give in to whatever it was that he felt. But it would only needlessly complicate things, and for what?

He had been so lost in his thoughts and listening to her stories, he didn't even notice when a small section of the lights surrounding the camp went out and Aranea stood up suddenly, at the ready. But she was tired and just a fraction too late, and a flailing daemon jumped her. Ignis snapped out of it at her scream and sprung in her direction, but another daemon appeared and grabbed hold of his leg. He fell, his dinner plate still in hand, but he twisted and smashed it on the daemon's head. Stunned for a moment, it gave him just enough time to reach for a dagger and impale it into the thing. He imagined it went straight through its eye.

He threw the now-limp daemon over the edge of the camp and followed the sound of Aranea's struggle.

"Get them off me!" she screamed.

Ignis reached in to what seemed like a pile of wriggling bodies, pulling them off and stabbing them one by one till Aranea was no longer overwhelmed. She hadn't had a weapon on her and her armor was off, leaving her vulnerable, but now she rolled toward her spear and brutally exacted her revenge on the rest of the beasts.

When they were all gone, she examined the lights and found that the battery for a small section had died out, leaving an opening for the creatures to crawl into the camp. Apparently their fire hadn't been large enough either. She removed the dead section and closed the circle of the remaining lights back up, cutting off a part of their campsite space. She added wood to the fire, then noticed that Ignis hadn't moved from the spot where he was standing.

"It's all fixed now," she said.

"Good. You're not hurt?" Ignis asked.

"Just some scratches. Nothing to be worried about. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

But he didn't seem fine. He looked angry, or scared, or something. He was almost trembling.

"Ignis… Are you sure you're okay?"

He trembled harder, holding his dagger desperately as he stood in the middle of the campsite. "I didn't hear them coming."

"Neither did I."

"But… I _need_ to hear them."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, it was just an accident. The lights were shot."

"No. I should have heard them." That thing was bubbling up again. "I damn well should have heard them." The feeling was getting stronger and he struggled to push it down. "What happens next time if I don't hear them?"

He fought hard against it, but then he was picturing Noctis standing in front of him, daemons springing up from every direction without warning, tearing him to pieces, and he could do nothing. There would be too many for him to keep track of. He would fail. He would fail Noctis. He would fail everyone. And it was all because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time for a split second in Altissia—just one second that seemed so cruel now.

He couldn't keep that bubbling feeling down any longer. He didn't want to. He needed to release it. So he dropped to his knees, let go of his dagger, took off his shades, and covered his eyes with his hands, shoulders heaving.

"It's not fair," he said, almost inaudibly, and then tears streamed down his face.

Aranea walked over and kneeled down in front of him. "It's not," she whispered. She reached out and took his shoulders gently, pulling him towards her. He didn't resist, falling forward into her arms and burying his face in her shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and she held him for a long time.

 **Part 3: Coming soon…**


	3. The Nights That Changed Everything

**Part Three: The Nights That Changed Everything**

Ignis slept better than he had in a while. When he had pulled away from Aranea after his breakdown, he didn't know what to say but apologize. Aranea would have none of it, and she suggested they get some rest. He fell into a deep sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Aranea had stayed up for a while, still nervous about the lights, then managed a short, fitful sleep. When she awoke several hours later, the lights were still functioning, yet she couldn't shake her nerves for some reason. So she turned toward Ignis' sleeping figure and buried her face against his upper arm. If he noticed, she figured it could seem like an accident, just rolling over in her sleep. But it felt comforting to be this close, breathing him in.

She never needed this before. She didn't think she needed this now either. Especially now, with what the world has come to—it was better not to get attached. But she couldn't move away.

—

They were both a little sheepish as they got ready in the morning, as if some line had been crossed but they weren't ready to acknowledge it. They focused on preparing for the day's hunt, avoiding any topics from the night before. Walking to the hunt site meant they had an excuse to remain quiet too.

The day started off with some challenging daemons, but both Aranea and Ignis found it a relief to focus only on their task. They worked quickly and diligently, making their way up the road. Hopefully they would be finished by early evening, and Aranea could send the go-ahead to the fuel trucks.

As they cleared a section of road, Aranea eyed Ignis' cane, which he would continue to use between battles.

"How come you're so attached to that thing?" she asked.

"The cane?"

"Yeah. You seem to be doing fine without it when you're fighting."

"I suppose I find the roads more treacherous at a slower pace. There are more instances to get caught off guard when you think the path is easy."

It wasn't lost on Ignis that he was also referring to the night before. He had let himself be swept up in the moment between him and Aranea and lost focus. Had he reacted a second later to the daemons that attacked their camp, who knows what would have happened. By the time he woke up in the morning, he had decided she was turning out to be too much of a distraction and it was best to part ways after this mission. Granted, when they fought together in battle, they made a great team, but as soon as his guard was down…

He had cried in front of her too. He fell into her arms and sobbed like he'd never done with anyone. It unnerved him greatly that he would be so vulnerable with someone he barely knew.

By evening, Ignis and Aranea found what appeared to be the last collection of daemons. They were tired at this point, but eager to finish the job. They moved fast and hard, slashing through the culprits and putting Ignis' intel on their weaknesses to good use. After they were done, Aranea made a call to Biggs and Wedge. They were finished too, and the trucks were ready to move. She gave the okay for the Vesperpool truck to proceed as well.

"All right then, partner," she said in her most casual tone. "All we have to do is get back to camp, rest up a bit, and head back to Lestallum. Mission accomplish."

They walked off the road and through dense trees, passing near a cliff towering over them on their left. There was only silence now, no daemons around. That's why Ignis was taken by such surprise when he felt a gust of wind through the trees that threw him right off his feet, and Aranea shouted.

"Get down!"

Ignis heard her let out a guttural sound, like she had been struck in the stomach. Then the sound seemed to lift up off the ground and into the air. Ignis realized she had been snatched up by whatever had swooped past them.

"Ignis!"

She was somewhere above him and to the left, towards the cliff. She shouted out expletives in between low, deep groans of pain.

"Aranea! Where are you?!"

"Up—HERE! This way!"

Ignis reached for his daggers but they were missing. He must have dropped them when the daemon swept him over. He clawed at the dense foliage on the ground but found nothing.

"I can't—breathe!" Aranea's voice was barely audible now.

The daemon let out a shriek, sounding something like a large bird. Ignis still had his cane in his hand. It shrieked again and Aranea let out one last cry of pain as Ignis lifted his cane above his shoulder like a lance, ignited it with fire, and threw it in what he discerned to be the sound of the creature with all his strength.

The cane flew through the air and hit the daemon straight in the eye, through the head, and wedged itself into the cliff behind it. The daemon's talons loosened and Aranea slipped out, trying to break her fall by grabbing on to rocks and branches on her way down. She landed with a painful thud, and coughed and retched.

Ignis ran toward the sound, winding his way through the forest. He reached out and felt her on the ground, gently taking hold of her body, looking for signs of injury.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." she coughed. "Guess we… missed a daemon."

Ignis felt a rush of relief at her joke. Maybe she wasn't too badly injured then.

"Guess we're not getting your cane back either," she added. "How did you aim that in the right place? You could have impaled me instead."

"I listened."

Ignis had to walk Aranea back to camp. The birdlike daemon had nearly crushed her abdomen, and it was painful to stand up on her own. To make it more uncomfortable, it had started to rain, but Aranea had heard reports that daemons didn't like rain much, so it was a blessing if it meant they could avoid further battles.

By the time they got back to camp, the rain had picked up. They immediately went into the tent. Between Aranea's injury and the rain, it looked like they were definitely staying the night.

Dripping wet, Ignis changed into dry clothes and helped Aranea out of her armor. He suspected she had watched him change; he was getting used to the sensation of eyes on him. He wondered what Aranea wore under that armor. It couldn't have been much. His mind started painting a picture, but he pushed it away as soon as it started, intent to remain true to his resolve and not think too much about the woman in the tent with him.

He examined her abdomen, which was bare under a cropped top. As he ran his fingers over her skin, pressing carefully to check for any signs of something more serious internally, he kept the cool composure of a doctor who had examined a hundred patients—though in the back of his mind, he noted his heart rate had increased. She was no different from anyone else, he reminded himself; she couldn't be.

Aranea, on the other hand, felt a little woozy at his touch. She didn't know if it was him saving her life, the high of surviving the danger she'd found herself in, or having watched him change out of his wet clothes, shadows playing on his lean body in the tent's soft light. But she looked at his concentrated face, his scars and small freckles, and decided she wanted this.

Luckily, her injuries seemed minor enough. Mostly bruising. Her armor had largely protected her, and although she was tender, she said she felt better already and was hungry for dinner. Ignis couldn't cook in this weather, so he finally gave in to some Cup Noodles, much to Aranea's delight.

"Don't get me wrong," she said. "I love your cooking. But there's something so comforting about Cup Noodles on a dreary, rainy night after a near-death experience."

Ignis couldn't argue against that.

—

They ate relatively comfortably in the tent, assured that daemons would be kept away by the camp lights and the rain.

"So I was thinking," Ignis said, "that since my cane is gone, perhaps I will try going without one for a while."

"You'll be fine," Aranea replied, putting her empty Cup Noodles down. "You're fighting better than most sighted men. You don't need it."

"But aren't you glad I had it tonight?"

"Yeah, I guess it did save my life. I'll give it that much credit."

"So the cane gets all the credit?"

"Ha." She paused and smiled. "But seriously, thanks for saving my ass back there. That thing had me trapped, hanging by the talons. I was seriously worried for a moment. And I never get worried."

"My pleasure. I'd never leave a lady hanging."

She laughed at his pun, and, before she could second-guess herself, took the opportunity. "Not even now?" She leaned in toward him—and waited.

Ignis didn't have to see her to realize what was going on. He could feel her breath on his lips, she was so close. He could just move a couple of inches closer and his lips would meet hers. But then he thought about how distracted he had gotten by her lately, and his vow to stay focused. The bigger picture was Noctis. He had to be ready to help Noctis fight, be there for him in whatever way was needed, and not get caught off guard. He'd devoted himself to Noctis all his life, and he already knew how it turned out when someone challenged this.

Aranea felt the moment go on for too long with no reciprocation. She leaned back away from him, feeling defensive now. "What is wrong with you?"

"Pardon?"

"Cut the bullshit, Ignis. You asked to come on this mission."

"Yes, to learn how to fight in my condition."

"And then you tell me all about your life, and I tell you about mine."

"Simply making conversation." He was getting uncomfortable at how blunt she was being. He preferred to live in pretenses.

"And then you lose your mind when we get attacked the other night, cry like a baby, and I actually—ugh!" She turned and crawled away in the tent, but there wasn't far for her to go. She sat back down, defeated. "What is it that you want, Ignis?!"

"I…" He wanted to say it was to be a better fighter for Noctis, but something stopped him. While this was true, he wasn't being completely honest—not with her, not with himself. "I, uh…" he stammered.

"Dammit," she whispered. "You know what, just forget it. I don't need this."

"Aranea…"

"I'm going to sleep."

She plopped down, her back to him. Even though she knew he couldn't see her, she still didn't want something giving away the hurt on her face. Besides, she didn't really care, did she? He was just one of that sorry excuse of a king's friends, nothing more.

Ignis sat still for a moment, trying to make sense of everything he was feeling. He was devoted to Noctis, yes, but for the first time he began to question if there wasn't room for something more. Then he finally spoke.

"I would be lying if I said you hadn't crossed my mind." He paused, and then added, "A lot, actually." Aranea didn't move, so he continued. "I'm just… I'm trying to stay focused on what really matters."

She sat up and looked at him. "The world is so messed up right now, Ignis."

"I know."

"So why deny something good? Just because you can feel happy for a moment, doesn't mean the rest stops to matter."

Happy… He hadn't even considered his own happiness. It always seemed so secondary to everything else. Just like his eyes were secondary to the larger fight. Or how even his life was secondary.

"You can be a little selfish," she continued. "Even if it's just for a short while." She turned back over to lie down. "But don't worry about it."

A minute passed; it seemed to go on forever. Then Aranea felt his hand touch her shoulder. He traced her collarbone up to her neck and to her cheek. He tried to gently shift her face toward his, though she resisted at first, feeling stubborn—but she soon gave in. When he felt her breath close by, he paused a moment. Then he gave in too.

He touched his lips to hers softly. He waited to feel guilty about it, to feel like he was committing some sort of betrayal. But it didn't happen. If anything, it felt like he was falling into something deep and warm and safe. He pulled away to gage her reaction.

She sat up and touched his cheek. She reached for his shades and started to take them off. He shifted back a little.

"Let me see you," she said.

He didn't stop her from removing them this time. She ran her fingers over his scars while giving him small kisses on his lips. She then kissed his starburst scar on the left eye and he seemed to relax a little. She looked at his eyes, the left one almost closed, the right one still green but unfocused. She ran her hands through his hair and pulled his face close to hers, kissing him harder. He took hold of her waist and held her against him.

Ignis found the edge of her cropped top and pulled it up over her head. Then, as if worried he may have gone a step too far, too fast, he placed his hands back on her waist. She took them and put them on her breasts. He ran his hands over them, imagining their teardrop shape. Aranea unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders, coming close for another kiss. As Ignis felt her breasts against his chest, he realized how long its been since he felt skin-to-skin contact, and he shuddered at the feel of it.

They went on for a long while, shifting and moving and discovering each other, till holding it off wasn't an option anymore. Ignis felt Aranea tighten around him stronger than ever, and she moaned as she finally gave in, pushing her hips into him hard as she shuddered. He let himself go too, his cheek against hers, breathing her scent in sharply.

She went a little limp, and he collapsed on top of her. She hadn't realized how uncomfortable her injuries were until now, but she ignored it, just to have his weight on her a little longer. He pulled away eventually and shifted next to her, and she placed her leg over his, facing him. They didn't say a word.

—

The next morning, Ignis woke to light strokes going through his hair and a soft whisper close to his face.

"Ignis, we should get going," Aranea said. She didn't sound too convinced.

"Just a few more minutes."

"Okay."

Ignis reached for her face, touching her warm cheek and stroking her matted hair.

"You know, I try not to dwell on regrets," he said. "But I really do regret that I can't see you in this moment right now."

Aranea wanted to say something about how it doesn't matter, or joke that he's not missing much. But instead she stayed quiet and kissed him slowly.

—

The rain had cleared by the time they packed up their weapons and equipment. They rode back toward Lestallum with little trouble, only needing to avoid daemons on occasion. When they stopped for breaks, they stood close to each other while eating a snack or stretching out, but neither knew what to say.

As he held onto her while they rode, Ignis allowed himself to pretend for a little longer that he was really this version of himself, and the world wasn't in perpetual darkness, and that they traveled on a beautiful, sunny day. Noctis hadn't disappeared, and the gang would be waiting for him back in Lestallum. They would all go have a meal together, and he would sit next to Aranea with his arm around her, and the boys would be a little jealous but happy for him. And he could see.

But as they got closer to Lestallum, the fantasy started to break. He began to worry that everything that happened in the last few days was just an illusion, existing only while it lasted. Aranea seemed to be feeling it too; over the course of their ride, an uncertain distance appeared between them. Neither of them would acknowledge it though.

They arrived at the parking lot by evening, where Biggs and Wedge were waiting. They helped them unload the equipment and congratulated one another on a mission accomplished. Biggs and Wedge went off to round up the troops so Aranea could brief them on their next tasks.

"So I guess this is bye for now," she said, turning to Ignis.

"Yes. Thank you for everything, Aranea," he replied, back to his usual formal self. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"My pleasure."

"Well then, I shall return to the hotel to let Gladio and Prompto know I made it back in one piece. Hopefully they will allow me to continue to hunt and train with them, now that I've proven myself."

"Sounds good. And hey, if you ever want to go out on some missions, let me know. I could always use some extra hands on deck."

"I'll take you up on that. Enjoy your evening then." Ignis turned and started walking off. Their parting felt so… unceremonious, after everything. As he walked away, he thought he heard her footsteps following and paused a moment, hopeful. But then nothing happened and he understood exactly what this had been: just a happy moment that didn't mean the rest stopped to matter. And they were back to the rest now.

Deep down, he knew this would happen all along. Aranea wasn't the kind of woman he should be falling for. It was for the best, he told himself.

He made his way through the streets of Lestallum with such surprising ease now, that he wondered if it had become less crowded. But it didn't seem to be the case; he was simply more aware. He was getting close to the hotel when he heard his name shouted above the noise and he turned around.

"Ignis!" Aranea yelled. "Ignis, wait!" She caught up to him. "Look, I need to say…"

It sounded like she was about to go on a speech she had prepared, but found herself tongue-tied. "I just… well…"

"Do you have any Leiden Pepper?" Ignis blurted out.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Do you happen to have any Leiden Pepper left over?"

"I, uh, I think so? Probably? I never knew how to use those." Aranea sounded very confused.

"Good. Then how about we meet after you brief your squadron and I'll make the best stew you've ever had? That is, if you don't have any plans…"

"I don't have any plans."

"That's good to hear. Then I'll see you at the hotel shortly?"

"Yes… That works for me. See you then."

"See you then."

Ignis turned to continue walking, but he felt her grab his shoulder and turn him back around. She kissed him fiercely, as if to do away with any ambivalence, confirming they were indeed on the same page.

He kissed her back.

—

"You guys… are the best."

Noctis' face was streaming with tears, and so were all of theirs. Ignis looked at him, still absorbing what he had just been told. Noctis was back, but he wouldn't be for long. It took everything Ignis had to remain at least somewhat composed. It felt so incredibly unfair; he'd had plans for them, once it was all over. He thought for a moment, and decided there won't be another time to do this.

"I'd… I'd like to show you something, Noct," Ignis said.

"What is it?"

"I'm afraid it won't help much. But perhaps…"

Ignis reached into his coat's inner pocket, fishing out a photo. He handed it to Noctis.

Noctis looked at it, placing the significance together and taking in a sharp breath. "Ignis, is this you and…?"

"My daughter, Lucie."

"Your daughter… Wow. And that's Aranea with the two of you?"

"Yes. Lucie's mother."

"I had no idea…"

"I was going to wait until after everything was over and you got to meet her, but…"

"Yeah…"

Noctis studied the photo. The little girl smiled between her parents' faces. Ignis was beaming like Noctis had never seen, and Aranea looked strong and proud as ever, but with an underlying softness he didn't recall last time he met her.

"How did you two… happen?" Noctis asked.

"Slowly and awkwardly," Ignis responded.

"It was like a game of 'will they or won't they' for months," Gladio said.

"Gotta say, I was disappointed," Prompto added, smiling weakly. "I mean, Iggy totally broke the bro code. But just look at that adorable face. Lucie makes it all worthwhile."

"Yes, she's very fond of Prompto and Gladio," Ignis said. "We certainly hadn't planned on her, not in this world we're in. But then one day she was there, and what could we do? The night she was born changed everything for me, Noct."

Ignis recalled holding Lucie for the first time, such a small and defenseless little figure that fit in his two hands, breathing against him in short, soft breaths. He knew, in that moment, that he would give anything for her, and for Aranea. He was still devoted to Noctis of course—he knew he would always be—but that allegiance was shared now. That night, as he held Aranea with Lucie cradled in between them, he realized it was okay. Noctis would have always understood.

"I'm very happy for you Ignis," Noctis said. "She's beautiful."

Lucie took after Aranea a lot, but had Ignis' eye color and lips, and, something told Noctis, his disposition. He then noticed she had something covering her right eye, black with a beautiful embroidery of sylleblossoms on it.

"What's on her eye?" he asked.

"A year ago, she was attacked by a goblin," Ignis explained, now more mechanically. "It dragged her right out of her bedroom window at night, after a partial power failure cut off some of the lights in Lestallum. We were almost too—" He couldn't say it, suddenly getting very emotional at the thought.

Prompto jumped in. "They got to her just in time."

"Almost," Ignis continued, gaining his composure. "The thing had taken her eye out. When we went to see her in the hospital, after her surgery, she looked at me from under her bandages and said, 'It's okay, daddy. Now I'm half like you.'" Ignis looked so solemn as he remembered this.

"She's definitely Iggy's little girl," Gladio said. "And Iggy's a great dad."

"The best," Prompto added.

"Yeah, I believe it," Noctis said, thinking back to how well Ignis always took care of him, and he smiled.

"We've told her all about you too," said Prompto. "She's like, your biggest fan."

"She always wants to know when she'll finally get to meet King Noctis," Gladio added.

"Noct, I know what you're about to do is beyond imagining," Ignis continued. "And I would take your place in a heartbeat."

"I know you would."

"But if anything can give me hope that Lucie can live the rest of her life in peace, and see the sun for the first time—I will be forever grateful."

Noctis understood. Ignis wanted him to know how much more his sacrifice would mean to him, now that he had someone else to take care of. And it did help, knowing Ignis had this.

"Tell her I did it for her," Noctis said. Ignis nodded.

"Hey Noct," said Prompto, his smile widening. "Look at us. We're all dads now."

Noctis smiled at the thought, and—through the tears that started back up—they all laughed.

—

Ignis moved slowly through the hallway of his apartment, his body sore in every place, covered in grime and dust and blood, but he ignored it. He made his way to Lucie's bedroom, and opened the door gently. He felt her sleeping form, brushing his hands through the hair on her face.

"Lucie…"

"Daddy?" she replied sleepily. "What's going on?"

"I want to show you something."

He gathered her small frame in his arms, her sleepy head falling on his shoulder. He held her tightly, kissing her head as he walked her through to the living room. Aranea pulled the curtains and opened the window. Ignis stood next to it, feeling the warm breeze, and Aranea wrapped her arms around them both.

"Lucie, do you see anything?" Ignis asked.

"No…"

"Keep watching."

A moment later, Lucie let out a small gasp, her head rising up. "Is that the sun?" she whispered.

"Yes… It is." Ignis could sense it now too, faintly.

"Would you look at that," whispered Aranea, tears on her cheeks.

"Did King Noctis do this?" Lucie asked.

"He did," said Ignis. "He did it for you. And now you'll always get to see it."

They stood there until the sun was high up in the sky and Lucie begged to go outside and run around at the lookout, arms outstretched, underneath the brightness and warmth. Prompto ran around with her while Gladio smiled at Iris, who smiled back despite her red-stained eyes, and put a reassuring arm around his little sister.

Ignis stood nearby, holding Aranea and resting his cheek on her head while their daughter ran around freely, remembering all the nights that changed everything, and feeling the heat of the sun on their backs.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I had a great time writing this three-part story. I decided to do my own time-skip, and show where Ignis and Aranea ended up instead of going into the details of their entire history, or we'd be here all day. That being said, I have plenty of other ideas about what took place in the 10 year gap, especially with Ignis and Aranea, as well as what might happen after (I'm clearly on the bros-lived-team). Let me know if you think any of that warrants more story-telling. I also have a longer version of their "special night" in the tent on AO3, I just wasn't sure about how appropriate it was for the ratings here. Check it out if you like something a bit more racy but still tasteful ;)

Thanks so much for reading!


End file.
